A Long Way Out
by Skye
Summary: Turbo: On the sunset of their time as rangers, Adam and Tanya decide to use their position to have a little fun. Adam/Tanya


**A Long Way Out**

They'd come a long way, miles away from Angel Grove, and farther and farther still out into Mojave. All the way across the desert, not having to stop for gas, as after all, these cars were powered by pure _legend_. They only drove further and further into nowhere, kicking up dust around them. "Hey Tanya," Adam yelled, pressing a button to communicate to the driver next to him. "Tanya," he yelled again.

The sound of the engines along with the rush of the air around the vechiles, both of their windows open, were too loud for her to hear the communications without being in ranger form, so Adam assumed it had to have been his waving that she'd seen, or maybe just her own tiredness, that made her finally brake to a somewhat reckless stop, then step out of the zord. Her grin and bounce as she exited the vehicle said she certainly wasn't tired of anything. "Hey Adam, what's wrong? Getting tired? Can't keep up?" Tanya teased.

"Na, I'm fine," Adam said, though if they'd been going this long with this much voracity on foot, perhaps he wouldn't be. "But don't you think we should be heading back? I don't think this area's approved for off-roading, anyway."

"You're probably right," Tanya said thoughtfully. "Why don't we head to the nearest place that allows zords."

"I get it, I get it," Adam sighed, though he still smiled. "So you want to keep going?"

"Well, maybe just a little bit. I've been taking it easy, but how about we really get moving?"

"Huh?" Adam raised an eyebrow.

"Me and you should have a race... Just to that rock formation," Tanya pointed.

Adam peered into the distance. It was the closest thing he could see along the horizon... Probably about ten or fifteen miles away. "You're on," he said.

"Don't let me win, now," Tanya said, winking.

"You kidding?" Adam said as he opened the door to Desert Thunder.

"I won't let you live it down if you do."

"Not going to happen."

Adam and Tanya soon shut their doors and belted up, accelerating across the barren stretch of land. Adam concentrated, eventually inching ahead, keeping a steady lead for most of the time. When they were fairly close, Dune Star suddenly accelerated far ahead. "No way!" Adam said. Before he could respond, Dune Star had disappeared behind the rocks. As Adam ended his own drive, he saw Tanya shutting the door to Dune Star.

"Aw, I expected to be relaxing like the hare... If he'd been smart enough to wait at the finish line."

"Alright, you got me," Adam admitted. "But you didn't really beat me by _that_ much."

"Slow and steady doesn't always win the race, Turtle Ranger," Tanya teased.

"Hm, turtles _are_ green, but I was the frog, actually."

"Hm?"

"Oh, yeah, I never told you? Before we lost our powers, before you joined the team, I was the pilot of a frog zord."

"No way!" Tanya exclaimed. "Did you all have animal zords?"

"Yeah, not all amphibians though. Birds, bears, it was pretty fun."

"I would have loved to pilot, or even to see animal zords. Can't believe I missed out on that. Though this is pretty nice, too." Tanya leaned back on Dune Star. "Save the world and take you away from it all, huh?"

"Yeah..." Adam said. "You're going to miss it, aren't you?"

Tanya looked away, wiping some dust off her zord's side. "Time to move on for all of us, I guess," she said.

"But once a ranger-" Adam began.

"Always a ranger, that's true." Tanya turned back and smiled.

"But I'm still a little worried for you. I guess being a ranger has been a major constant thing for you since you've moved here, and now that it's ending..." Adam paused.

Tanya rolled her eyes slightly. "Oh, listen to you. You've been a ranger even longer, and yet here you are worrying about what I'm going to do," she said. "Worry a little more about yourself... Your face is all red."

"Um, yeah," Adam said, wiping some sweat from his forehead. It's got to be a hundred or higher out here."

"We'd both better stay hydrated."

Soon Adam and Tanya stood together with their water bottles, leaning against the side of the rock formation in order to stay in the shade. "I guess you really will be fine," Adam said.

"Oh, you guess, huh?"

"Yeah... You've always been so quick to adjust to anything. Moving here suddenly, becoming a ranger... Even schoolwork or hobbies, everything you've tried you've put your all into and enjoyed. You'll be able to succeed anywhere, with anyone."

Tanya leaned a little closer to Adam. "And you?" she said.

"Me, oh, I'm not the same as you," Adam said, and Tanya's face fell. "I mean... I'm not as... Well, I wouldn't be able to start somewhere from scratch, all alone like you did."

"Hey, you're not saying I'll be all alone, are you?"

"No!" Adam exclaimed, looking at Tanya with a surprised expression. "Hey, no way. You'll have Kat, and Rocky..."

"And you?"

"Of course me. Anytime you want to see me, or just talk to me, I'll be around."

"It just might be kind of a lot," Tanya said.

"Oh. Good," Adam said, beaming.

Tanya stretched, walking over to the zords. "Well, now I think we'd really better head back. It isn't time to hand off to any newbies just yet."

"Not to mention they'd need the zords if it was," Adam said.

"Of course. Let's not dawdle... I wonder which one of us can make it back to the Power Chamber first?"

"You're not saying you'll beat me again, are you?" Adam said.

Tanya shrugged. "I'll just have to give it my all and see," she said.

"Oh man," Adam shook his head. "Whoever you pick as the next yellow ranger, I hope she has as much determination as you."

"And the green ranger," Tanya said, putting a hand to her chin and furrowing her brow in thought. "He should be as handsome as you." Tanya giggled at Adam's surprised expression. "Just kidding, that's only a bonus," she said, stepping into Dune Star.

"Hey, if it's a race, a fair race, we should start at the same time!" Adam said. As Tanya only smiled back at him and belted herself in, he ran Desert Thunder to get ready.


End file.
